St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-08-08
a Little Reasoning Showing That the
German Premier Doesn't Intend
to G3bble Up the Dutch.
Bismarck is Not Preparing to Throw an
Army Of $50, 600 Men Under the
Walls of Antwerp.
But he is Laying Railroad Lines and
Building Military Depots as a
Menace to the French.
Affectionate Parting of William and
Francis Joseph at Gastein--
DaVitt On Coercion.
By Cable to the Globe.

By Cable to the Globe.
LONDON, Aug. THE sensation
caused during the past few days by re-
ports of Prince BiSmarck'S preparations
to gobble up Holland has been an alarm
ing one, but reaction has already set
in. 1t is beginning to be realized that
Bismarck is not in the habit of carrying
out his purposes in quite so OPEN
handed and undiplCmatic a fashion.
Several other considerations are also
advanced to throw doubt upon the cor
rectneSS of the theory that Germany is
on the point of absorbing the country
of dykes and inland seas. One of these
perhaps the least weighty-is that
Germany has always pursued policy
of autonomy. In fOrcibly acquiring
AlSace-Loraine she made citizens of the
foreign-speaking population, it is true,
but the territory had formerly been Oc-
cupied by a German-speaking people,
and the dialect there employed is i'll
some portions of the province almost as
much German as French to-day.
Bismarck himself is what you Ameri-
cans might call a crank on this subject
of autonomy. and he literally has no use
for any territory as part of Germany
where the mother tongue is not spoken,
or at least where it cannot he Substitu-
ted for the vernacular. The rigorous
enforcement of the use of the German
language in Holland is the outcome of
this tendency, and if it is found impOS-
Sible to GermaniZe the people they are
RUTIu.ESSLY EXPELLED,
20 be replaced by German cOloDists.
Alsace-L0rraine is also being re-Ger-
maniZed as fast as practicable. The
annexation of Holland would graft upon
the German empire a people whom it
would be impossible to GermaniZe for
centuries to come, though they SpTahg
originally from kindred stock. No man
has more individuality about him than
your Hollander, and, admitting that the
sturdy race could be conquered or awed
into submission by their powerful neigh
boz. they would not become anlalgamated
with the German people. Holland
would have to be administered as a
province not as part of Germany.
This would introduce discOrdant ele-
ment in the German empire, whose
great source of strength to day lies in
the homOgeneity of her people and the
unity of their aims and efforts. Another
consideration of more or less Importance
would not have Holland alOn" 70 deal
with. but Belgium as well. I he inter
eStS of Belgium would all lie i'll helping
Holland to maintain independence, for,
if Hollands nationality disappeared,
Belgium would not long be able to
maintain her footing as separate state.
The BeigianS may not be to-day as
: Cesar called them in his {, IN nentarieS,
'sThe braveSt fighters in Iiaul," but
they still have some capacity i'll that
line, or had no longer age than 1850, as
THEIR INDEPENDENCE
shows, and they are too well satisfied
with their progress under Self-gOvern-
ment to consent without Il struggle to
any serious encroachment upon it.
There are various other reasons for
doubling that Prince Bismarck is EN-
gagged in such startling enterprise as
the conquest of the Netherlands, but
the most convincing theory put forth to
account for the strategic railways and
military depOtS which have 50 suddenly
loomed up on the Dutch frontier. is
that they are not intended to enable
Germany to ''thrOw all army of 10000
men under the walls of Antwerp at
tWenty-four hours notice, as the BruS
sells Gazette said yesterday, but to add to
tie facilities of Germany for an attack
upOn France. This view is strength
ened by the fact that the place
chosen for the concentration of troops
is almost exactly at the point where the
dividing line between Belgium and
Holland strikes the German frontier,
and is within reach of both. The Dutch
and Belgian lines of railway, which
would not only enable part of the Ger
man hosts to be maSSed at Antwerp, but,
if necessary. at the Hague and part
also at points on the Franco-Belgian
frontier. Ghe troops sent to seapOrtS
could there be quickly transferred to
German men-Of-war and hurried through
the channel to menace the poorly-de-
Tended northern and western
FRONTIER OF FRANCE,
while those sent through Belgium could
cooperate with others advancing on
the FrancO-German frontier proper. in
keeping the French army busy in the
eastern part of the country 4 stimuli
taneOus attack could therefore be made
on three sides of France at remarkably
short notice. The usefulness of this
arrangement would be equally great as
a mode of defense in case France should
be the attacking party. Holland
and Belgium, though delnurring as a
matter of course to the passage through
their territory of large bodies of alien
troops, would doubtless yield to an ur-
gent request on Germany'S part for such
accommodation rather than run the risk
of having war forced upon themselves.
They have no particular affection for
France, and it would be safer for them
to incur her enmity than that of their
more powerful eastern neighhor. 1t is
altogether likely. therefore, that in es
tablishing an elaborate rendezvous for
troops near MaeStricht Prince Bismarck
is simply adding to his precautions
against the possible chance for the sue
cess of French attempts ut revenge, or
is perfecting plans TO sweep down upon
the French al a favorable moment and
place them horS du combat in order that
Germany need live no longer in con-
slant apprehension Of danger from her
Gallic foe.
DENMARK ANXIOUS.
BERLIN. Aug. THE KOlnische
Zeitung, KrenZ ZeituTg and other jour
nails attack the Danish government for
declaring the neces ity for fortifying
Copenhagen against Germany aud warn
Denmark that an alliance between
France and Russia might lead to the
conviction that tie annexation of Den
mark to Germany was l. maritime ne
ceSSity.